1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for supplying and individually extracting assembly parts which are fed to an extraction point in a previously determined aligned position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Methods and apparatus are known for supplying and extracting assembly parts, which are also referred to as workpiece feed systems, handling systems or manipulator systems. In an apparatus of this kind for supplying and extracting assembly parts--according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,872--several rectilinear guiding tracks aligned at an angle to each other are provided, which allow of a displacement of a gripper element or gripper device in three spatial directions. In this apparatus, the assembly part lying closest to the handling apparatus is lifted after infeed from a conveyor pot by a linear conveyor in vertical direction to the conveying plane of the assembly parts, is grasped by the gripper element in the lifted position and deposited on a workpiece which is mounted on a workpiece carrier. This method and this apparatus proved satisfactory in practice. It was found however that not all cases of application can thereby be resolved satisfactorily.